title: Vascular endothelial growth factor attenuates neurodegenerative changes in the NSC-34 motor neuron cell line induced by cerebrospinal fluid of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Motor neuron disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective death of motor neurons in the spinal cord as well as motor cortex. Recently, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been identified as a neurotrophic factor in animal models of familial ALS and other neurological diseases.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study was designed to investigate the neuroprotective role of VEGF in the more prevalent sporadic form of ALS.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the effect of VEGF on the NSC-34 cell line exposed to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from sporadic ALS patients (ALS-CSF) in terms of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay as well as choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and phosphorylated neurofilament expression by immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy. NSC-34 cells were exposed to CSF from patients with definite ALS and compared to controls. LDH activity was assessed in the growth media, prior to and 24 h after the addition of VEGF to the cells. At similar time points, the cells were fixed and processed for immunocytochemistry to evaluate ChAT and phosphorylated neurofilament expression.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to ALS-CSF caused morphological changes of NSC-34 cells like reduced differentiation and aggregation of phosphorylated neurofilaments. Enhanced LDH activity and reduced ChAT immunoreactivity were also observed. Addition of VEGF to NSC-34 cells exposed to ALS-CSF was protective in terms of reduced LDH activity and restoration of ChAT expression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study confirms that VEGF exerts a neuroprotective effect on the NSC-34 cell line by attenuating the degenerative changes induced by ALS-CSF. It thus has therapeutic potential in sporadic ALS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India.
authors.forename: Dinkar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kulshreshtha
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vijayalakshmi
authors.forename: Phalguni Anand
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Alladi
authors.forename: T N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Sathyaprabha
authors.forename: Atchayaram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nalini
authors.forename: T R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Raju
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000134:cerebrospinal fluid* / Q000473:pathology; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000473:pathology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000502:physiology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: C467484:VEGFA protein, human; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A